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Vest-Lofoten Upper secondary school

Lofoten Technical school

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Full legal name of institution in the national language:

VEST-LOFOTEN VIDEREGÅENDE SKOLE –

LOFOTEN FAGSKOLE

Street name and number: P.O. BOX 23

Post code and town/city: N – 8376 LEKNES

Region: Nordland Country, Norway

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• Vest-Lofoten uss is located in the western parts of the Lofoten islands in north Norway (above the Arctic circle). Lofoten is a rural area and belongs to Nordland county, and the main income activity in the area is fisheries, aquaculture, agriculture and tourism. There is a growing problem of youngsters leaving to more central parts of the County (big cities), and the level of well educated persons is low in a national perspective.

• The school is a traditional vocational school, but we also offer academic specialization programmes (3 years) to qualify for higher education. Most of the pupils (aged 16 – 19) are enrolled in vocational courses. Vocational courses normally lasts for two years, and after that the pupils can chose a university preparatory course (one year) to qualify for higher education or to do two years of apprenticeship. At the end of these 2 years of apprenticeship pupils become qualified workers and can enter the job market.

• There are approx. 650 pupils/students at school each year.

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• Education programme for sports subjects, Education programme for study specialization, Education programme for building and construction technology, Education programme for electrical and electronic subjects, Education programme for health and social subjects, Education programme for utilization of natural resources and Education programme for restaurant trades and nutritional subjects.

• In addition to pupils coming from nearby areas the school hosts young and adult students from all over the region. The school faces specific needs from disabled students, and there is one department which plan and monitor curriculum’s and provide extra support to students with special needs. It is a general problem in our region today that to many pupils quit school during the first year of upper secondary education, and one of our main objectives is to make sure that all pupils finish their courses.

Our programmes are:

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• The school has a department that offers different training courses to local and regional companies on demand, and we also have a maritime safety training centre for fishermen and officers (international approved courses). Finally we offer maritime training for people who wants to become ship officers, and at the end these courses qualify for the highest international certificates (IMO-standard). All in all we work on the lifelong learning perspective, and our school aims to be a useful regional development partner at all levels of education.

• At our school all pupils get their own portable computer the first year, and in some (but not all) courses they no longer use traditional school books. Teachers and pupils uses a learning management system called Its learning. This LMS is very useful for planning, administration and learning activities.

• There are also some pupils attached to our school which study both vocational and special courses through a distance learning programme called Losa (education in cooperation with local enterprises). These students (16-19) is located all over Nordland county, and they can stay at home their first year at vocational school. During this first year they practice in companies at home, but from the second year they have to move away to get further training. In addition we have a distance learning programme for adults (DÅS – The Open school) in which adults can study while they stay in their jobs. These people are often adults with very little formal competence who want to qualify for better or new jobs in their locale area.

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What is upper secondary education and training? And how does it function

in Norway today?

Which options do young people have, what is required for admission to the

various education programmes and how can we help young people

make the best choice?

The support given by parents and guardians, teachers and

educational/vocational counsellors is important for young people when

they are choosing further education and a vocation. The Norwegian

website www.vilbli.no gives an overview of the options and opportunities

in upper secondary education and training.

Upper Secondary Education in Norway – and at Vest-Lofoten Upper secondary school

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Academic specialization focuses on theoretical knowledge and qualifies the pupil forgeneral admission to universities or colleges. The education programmes for thistake three years in school. There are three academic specialization educationprogrammes.

Vocational training leads the pupil to qualifying for a trade or craft and gives vocationalcompetence with or without a journeyman’s certificate or craft certificate. Vocational training is acombination of theoretical knowledge and practical training. There are nine vocational educationprogrammes in Norway.

The training leading to vocational competence without a craft certificate or journeyman’scertificate takes three years in a school. In most vocational education programmes the first two years of education take place in a school, normally followed by two years of training in acompany.

If you start an education programme leading to a trade or craft, you can apply for employment after three years, or four years or more. If you choose a vocational education programme, youmay qualify for a trade or craft without having to apply for a student loan. You may also use

yourvocational competence as the basis for qualifying for general admission to universities orcolleges.

Academic specialization or vocational training in upper secondary education ?

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• Having vocational competence means that you have been trained to practise a trade or craft. If you complete and pass the training in one of the nine vocational education programmes, you may attain various types of vocational competence. Training in the apprenticeship crafts leads to a craft certificate or journeyman’s certificate after passing a craft or journeyman’s examination.

• This is called a journeyman’s examination and journeyman’s certificate in some trades, such as goldsmith, carpenter and cabinetmaker, and a craft examination and craft certificate in other trades, such as cookery, electrician and aircraft engine mechanic.

• Training in other crafts that are not apprenticeship trades leads to vocational competence without a craft certificate or journeyman’s certificate – such as gardener, skin care technician and medical secretary.

Vocational competence

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After two years in a vocational education programme, or when you have attained vocational competence, you may apply for thesupplemental course to qualify for general admission to universitiesor colleges. This is a highly demanding theoretical course ofstudies in school.

• Qualifying for general admission to universities or colleges means that you can be admitted to most courses of study at colleges or universities. You satisfy the qualification requirements by completing and passing three years of upper secondary education and training with education programmes from

– sports subjects (Vg1 + Vg2 + Vg3) – music, dance and drama (Vg1 + Vg2 + Vg3)

– study specialization (Vg1 + Vg2 + Vg3)– media and communication (vg1 + vg2) & study specialization Vg3– utilization of natural resources (Vg1 + Vg2) & study specialization Vg3

Supplemental qualification

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• Qualifying for general admission to universities or colleges does not in itself guarantee admission to a place of study – you also need good enough grades to satisfy the requirements the college or university sets.

Some studies have admission tests and some studies require special qualifications for admission, i.e. that you must have taken special subjects, for example mathematics. These qualifications are easiest to attain if you take the study specialization education programme.

• The gateway to some studies, for example medical school, law school or civil economist or civil engineer studies is very narrow and you need exceptionally good grades for admittance.

Supplemental qualification

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Three academic specialization education programmes(* at Vest-Lofoten uss)

These education programmes do not lead directly to a vocation, but completing and passing the three-year course of studies in academic specialization satisfies the requirements for qualifying for general admission to universities or colleges.

Education programme for sports subjects *

Education programme for music, dance and drama

Education programme for study specialization *

Academic specialization programmes

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Nine vocational education programmes(* at Vest-Lofoten uss)

These education programmes lead directly to a vocation after completion of three to five years of education and training. Even if the training is a combination of theory and practice, as a general rule, these education programmes also have some theory subjects that must be mastered and passed.

Education programme for building and construction technology * Education programme for design and crafts subjects Education programme for electrical and electronic subjects * Education programme for health and social subjects * Education programme for media and communication Education programme for utilization of natural resources * Education programme for restaurant trades and nutritional subjects * Education programme for service and travel Education programme for technical skills and industrial production

Vocational education programmes